Two local men died and a young couple were injured in separate road accidents that occurred within 12 hours of each other on Wednesday.

At about 5.30am Colin Mclean, 48, from Dobwalls died when his Honda Accord was involved in a head-on collision with a 17-tonne Mercedes lorry at Treburley bend, just outside Treburley village.

Mr Mclean, who was on his way to work at Lifton, was freed from his car by fire crews and taken to Derriford Hospital by ambulance where he died from serious injuries.

The driver of the lorry, travelling from Launceston to Plymouth, was taken to Derriford Hospital with minor injuries. The road was closed for almost seven hours, and was reopened at 12.30.

At 3.50pm the same day, a 77-year-old Liskeard man died when the Ford Escort he was driving across the A38 at a junction near Menheniot, was in collision with a second Escort travelling east-bound.

The 18-year-old male driver from Saltash and 17-year-old female passenger from Bodmin, were able to free themselves from the vehicle before being taken to Derriford by air ambulance.

Motor Patrol Sergeant of Bodmin Traffic Police, Brian Hancock, said: 'Regrettably this kind of accident is a common occurrence. On roads as busy as this, where vehicles are trying to cross over, there will always be accidents of this nature.'

The road was closed for over three hours and traffic was diverted at Liskeard along the A390 to Callington.